Archive for October, 2009

Is that bull’s-eye logo going bye-bye to survive the Wal-Mart effect? What does Wal-Mart know that may save business everywhere? Is it true- is Target steering away from their famous Bullseye logo? Since March of 2009, they have been pulling it to implement an ARROW; that is being targeted right to “Real MOMs” and how they [...]

As Halloween approaches, you’ll see spooky ghosts, goblins and monsters everywhere. But for many of us, the real scare comes from talking to media members. If picking up the phone to pitch a reporter gives you the chills, here are three simple tips to make the experience less frightful: 1. Prepare. Before calling a reporter, know [...]

You put a lot of time and energy into your website so that it represents your business in the right way. Sometimes, though, it can be too easy to focus on the technical and visual elements of a site before realizing that it’s just not conveying a warm, human feeling. Sometimes, a business website can [...]

Many new clients tell me that they have a blog, but no one is reading it. Other clients ask me if they need a blog. Well, if you have a blog, or are wondering if you need one, you may have these questions: • What’s the point? Before you start writing, figure out why you want [...]

In today’s climate of social media marketing, business owners are encouraged to get word out about their company in as many formats as possible. According to Michelle Carroll of 1stop Marketing Solutions: "Companies are looking for new ways to sell their products and engage customers. Social media is an effective and low cost marketing strategy [...]

Innovate or die. OK, it’s not always as severe as that, but sometimes innovation truly changes an entire industry and means wealth for one company and bankruptcy for another. Think about how NetFlix outmaneuvered Blockbuster. Or how Google outmaneuvered Yahoo!. Or how Apple with its iTunes store outmaneuvered Tower Records, Virgin and the entire music [...]

As the “royalty” status of Hollywood stars has risen, so has their effectiveness as key influencers in consumer purchasing behaviors. Celebrity product placement is considered an “influencer-marketing” approach for helping brands increase their competiveness in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Marketers and small business owners can harness that power through strategic product placement opportunities that have [...]

With the popularity of performance shows like “Fame,” “Glee,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Dancing with the Stars,” etc., it got me thinking. Ever see some of the performers warm up singing, “Mi, Mi, Mi…?” Well, this could be the theme song on many of the Web sites I review these days! Do You [...]

If you maintain a blog for your business, you’ve probably had days when your mind went blank. When the idea fountain stopped flowing. When your brain hit a brick wall. It’s quite natural, actually. If you are writing on a regular schedule, it can be difficult at times to generate fresh, new ideas for your [...]

Ever heard of “The Conference Board”? It’s a global, independent business membership and research association. Their mission is to provide organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance, among other things. They do a study on a quarterly basis that measures CEO confidence, which had increased in the second quarter of 2009, and [...]

After working over 30 years in organization development consulting, Richard Lewine created a company called Quantum Voyage, http://www.goaltrak.com/, to help businesses and organizations reach their goals. Since many of you are in the process of setting your goals for 2010, I caught up with Rich to get his insights. Here’s what he had to say: [...]

Recently, I caught up with Bruce Freeman, The Small Business Professor (aka “Professor Bruce”) to get his current thoughts on small business success. In addition to having a syndicated, small business column with Scripps Howard, teaching and running his own marketing and public relations business, Bruce is the co-author of the entrepreneurship book, “Birthing the Elephant.” Here’s [...]